FL-Gov: Watch Out For Rick Scott

[ccharles000]

Mason-Dixon (5/3-5, likely voters, 3/23-25 in parens):

Bill McCollum (R): 38 (64)
Rick Scott (R): 24 (n/a)
Paula Dockery (R): 7 (9)
Undecided: 31 (26)
(MoE: ?)

Alex Sink (D): 36 (34)
Bill McCollum (R): 45 (49)

Alex Sink (D): 38
Rick Scott (R): 36
(MoE: ±4%)

For a long, long time, Bill McCollum looked like he had the Republican nomination for Governor in the bag. That's all changed with the candidacy of Rick Scott, professional anti-healthcare astroturfer and former health insurance executive, who has already spent $5 million out of his own pocket on the race, blanketing airwaves across Florida with introductory ads over the past several weeks. If McCollum hoped he could ignore Scott, that looks to be an unwise course of action, given that his cozy 55-point lead on underfunded state Sen. Paula Dockery has evaporated into a 14-point lead over Scott.

Scott has some pretty glaring weaknesses that are exploitable, either in a primary or a general election -- namely, his former company, HCA/Columbia, paid a $1.7 billion settlement after being accused of over-billing the federal government under his leadership. In any event, I hope these two bozos start clobbering each other soon.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/6866/flgov-watch-out-for-rick-scott